Hearts of One
by Nightimewriter
Summary: Kagome's cousin Hailey comes to stay with her...and what? Inuyasha shows up to bring her back to the feudal era with...KOUGA! What is Kagome sensing...Kouga might be interested in her cousin? And what's Hailey's big secret that no one knows? CHAPTER 5!
1. The Return and Reunion

"I'll be back soon," Kagome said as she grabbed her stuff and carefully climbed onto the edge of the well, despite Inuyasha's and Shippo's protests.

"Kagome!" Shippo squealed. "Why do you have to go?! Stay with us! Just ignore Inuyasha! He makes dumb comments all the time! Please don't leave me!"  
"Shippo..." Inuyasha barked, "shut up!" He grabbed Shippo and threw him across the grass into the trees.

"I won't be long," Kagome said sweetly. "Two days at the most. Bye!"

"Bye!" Miroku and Sango said as Kagome jumped into the well.

"You better come back!" Inuyasha yelled after her. "Or I'll make you come back!"

"Real smooth," Miroku commented under his breath. "Come Sango, let's return to the village. Shippo? Are you coming?"

Shippo joined the others by the well. He jumped unto the edge and looked in. All he could see was the bottom. Kagome was already gone.

"Inuyasha, you jerk!" Shippo yelled as he punched him with all his might. Inuyasha didn't even flinch.

"She'll be back!" He simply yelled back at him. "Quit your whining and just deal with it!" And with that, Inuyasha made his way back to the village, leaving Sango, Miroku, and Shippo by the well.

"That guy is so difficult," Sango said once they were sure he was out of earshot. The two nodded in agreement.

Kagome quickly climbed the ladder in the well and hopped out to see the familiar surrounding of the temple. _Good to be home!_ She thought happily. The first thing Kagome planned on doing was taking a nice, long, hot bath! She found herself fantasizing about how good the hot water would feel on her tired body as she crossed the yard to her house.

"Kagome!" Her mother said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Mom!" She exclaimed as they hugged. "Grampa! Sota! It's sooooo good to be back home!"

"I can only imagine," her mother said. "You were gone for quite some time. Did you find any more shards?"

"Only a few," Kagome answered as she got herself a glass of water. "And I have to say, it wasn't easy. These youki are getting even stronger!" She took a big gulp of water. "I really need to take a bath right now. I feel so icky." She moved to leave when her mom stopped her.

"Oh! Kagome, I almost forgot to tell you," her mother began. "You remember Cousin Charles and Sara Tisaro?" Kagome nodded and felt her heart speed up a bit. The way her mom spoke made her uneasy. "Well," she continued, looking down and dropping her voice a bit, "maybe you should sit down."

"What happened Mom?" Kagome asked urgently.

"There was a terrible accident…." She paused as Kagome gasped. "They didn't make it."

"Oh My Gosh!" Kagome breathed. She tried to blink away tears.

"I'm sorry sweetie," her mother said, pulling her into another hug. Sota and Grampa sat with saddened looks on their faces.

"It was a few weeks ago," Grampa said softly.

Kagome quickly pulled back.

"What about Hailey?!" She asked suddenly. "What happened to Hailey?! Is she…."

"No!" Her mother said quickly, trying to calm Kagome down. "Hailey is fine… She's going to be staying with us now, Kagome." Her mother's eyes looked past her. Kagome turned around to see her cousin standing in the threshold of the kitchen.

"Kagome!" Hailey said happily as she made her way towards her with outstretched arms.

"Hailey!" They hugged tightly and for a long period of time. Kagome whispered into her cousin's ear, "I am so sorry."

"It's okay," Hailey whispered back. "I'm fine."

The two went up to Kagome's room and talked for a long time about everything that has happened since they last saw each other when they were 12. A lot of time has passed since then. They were both now almost 17 years of age. Their lives had changed dramatically since they were kids. Soon, they both grew silent.

Kagome looked at her cousin and thought about how different things were now. _Hailey has grown up….well, we both have! She looks the same, yet so different... Her hair seems lighter and her eyes more intense…._

When they were both kids, Hailey and Kagome were inseparable. They looked fairly similar and were even mistaken for twins a few times. Hailey's hair was long and black like Kagome's and their smiles were both the same. The hung around so much when they were kids, they began acting like one another and knowing what one was going to say before she would say it. They were able to finish each other's thoughts and sentences and never fought.

Kagome reflected on all of this for a bit. She remembered the last time they saw one another. It was the last days of summer and both Kagome and Hailey were told that Hailey would be moving far away, so far that they couldn't even visit. Kagome and Hailey were so upset, they thought about running away so they could stay together. Kagome was like the sister Hailey never had, and same was true the other way around. They were the closest friends, the best of friends, the best of sisters, and in one day, they were going to be torn apart. They missed each other so much it hurt. When they weren't in school, they were always on the phone together, still trying to keep alive their sister-ship and keeping involved in each other's lives. Then one day, they both just became too involved with their own lives, their own friends. They lost contact.

"I've missed you Hailey," Kagome finally said.

"I've missed you too, Kagome," she replied with a weak smile. Soon, they both burst into tears. "Kagome! It was so hard when I left! I hated school, I hated my parents for pulling us apart! No one has even come close to being as good of a friend and sister like you!" They hugged each other tightly.

"Same here," Kagome sniffled. "I wanted you to come back so much! I prayed every night-"

"-that I could come live with you?!" Hailey finished as she pulled back from Kagome. Their eyes met and Kagome nodded. "So did I!" They can still finish each other's thoughts.

"I just," Kagome began, "I just never wanted it to be under these conditions…. I'm so sorry!"

Hailey nodded. "I know, but it's not your fault, so don't worry about it. Honestly, once we moved, they were never home. They both became involved with their new jobs. Now, it just feels like their both working overtime again."

"Oh Hailey!" Kagome sniffled. "We're always going to be together now, Sister!" They both wiped away their tears and smiled.

"It's going to be just like old times!"

Inuyasha sat by the well, waiting for Kagome's return. Impatiently, he got up and looked into the well, only to see the empty dirt bottom.

"Kagome, where are you?!" He muttered angrily.

"If you want her to come back so much you should go get her!" Shippo said, popping out of nowhere and startling Inuyasha.

"I don't miss her or anything!" He said quickly. "I just want her to come back so….we….so we can continue looking for more jewel shards!" Shippo rolled his eyes. "Get OUTTA here RUNT!!!!" Inuyasha screamed at him as he picked Shippo up and threw him as far as her could.

"He misses her terribly," Miroku commented to Sango from their hiding spot.

"Oh yes," she agreed. "How long has he been sitting there?"

"Almost three days."

"Three days?" Sango repeated. "Kagome's been gone for that long?" Miroku nodded.

"I wonder if everything is alright…." he said.

For the past three days, Kagome and Hailey spent catching up on life and time spent apart. They learned a lot of new things about each other, but were both glad to see that some things hadn't changed.

It was later into the evening and Hailey was in the shower. Kagome was in the kitchen helping her mom wash some dishes from earlier that evening.

"Kagome," her mother said, "how long were you planning on staying here?" This question caught Kagome by surprise. "Not that we don't want to you around!" Her mother said quickly. "It's just that, normally you don't stay for more than a few days, even when you're in school. It's summer now, and you can spend more time there helping your friends find jewel shards…"

"I've been thinking about it," Kagome said quietly, "and I would like to go back, but how do I explain this to Hailey?"

"Right, I see," her mother said as she continued to scrub a dish. "That is difficult… Maybe you can just tell her about it!"

Kagome paused and thought about it for a moment. _Well, she is the closest person in my life…. I know I can trust her…. But will she believe me?_

"She is part of the family…" her mother said. "She's going to be staying with us for a long time now… You're going to have to deal with this at some point, because I know your doggie friend will come for you if you do not return soon."

_That's right!_ Kagome thought._ Inuyasha will definitely come and get me! And I told him I'd only be a few days! Oh no…._

"I should tell her, shouldn't I…." Kagome said more to herself than her mother. "I'm gonna do it now, while I'm thinking of it." She dried her hands and made her way up to her room.

Hailey was already in there with her pajamas on. She had a towel wrapped around her head, towel drying her hair.

"Hailey," Kagome started…..

Inuyasha continued to sit beside the old well, muttering to himself about how irresponsible Kagome is and how he'll go and get if she doesn't return soon.

Shippo watched him from a safe distance behind the trees. He just turned to leave when he saw a tornado headed his way. Shippo screamed and attempted to run to Inuyasha for protection, but he was caught before he even reached the trees.

Dangling in the air with his hands over his eyes and his legs flaring, Shippo looked frightened to death.

"P-p-please d-d-don't e-e-eat m-m-me!" He stuttered in a girlishly high voice.

"Ha! Don't worry pipsqueak, I'm not interested in eating you," laughed a familiar voice. Shippo recognized this voice and stopped squirming.

"Kouga!" He said in a relieved tone. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Kagome," he said, then sniffed the air. "She's not here? Her scent totally disappeared…. Where is she?"

"She went back home a few days ago," Shippo answered calmly. "She said she'd be back soon, but she still hasn't shown up."

"Why don't you go get her?!" Kouga demanded.

"That's what I've been telling Inuyasha…" Kouga "hemp"ed at the sound of his name. "but he's too stubborn and proud to do it."

"Where is he now?" Kouga asked as he put Shippo down. Shippo led Kouga to the hiding spot in the trees and they watched as Inuyasha sat by the well, fuming.

"What is he doing?" Kouga asked.

"Waiting for Kagome," Shippo answered. He received a questioning glance and filled in Kouga about where Kagome comes from.

"So why doesn't he just go get her?"

"Because he doesn't want her to think that he's missing her. He's being stubborn," Shippo stated. "If I could go-"

"Why can't you?" Kouga asked quickly, while a plot formed in his head.

"Only Inuyasha and Kagome can travel through the well. I really don't know why," Shippo answered, "but it's not fair."

"Well, I say we test this well out," Kouga said as he stood up. "If he can't make it through, then we'll just force Inuyasha to go." He stepped out from the trees. "Hey! Mutt-face!"

"Kouga!" Inuyasha said standing up quickly. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Well, I came to see my woman," he replied as he drew closer to Inuyasha, who fumed, "but I hear she went home a few days ago. So I'm going to go bring her back!" He made for the well and Inuyasha blocked him.

"You can't go in there Flee-bag!" He said while rolling up his sleeve threateningly. "You won't make it through!"

"Won't I?" Kouga mocked. "We'll just see about that." He charged at Inuyasha, got a firm hold on him, and pushed them both over the edge of the well….


	2. An Unexpected Visit

"What is it, Kagome?" Hailey asked while Kagome thought of how to say it.

"Umm…uh…" _There's a well that connects to the feudal era, I have demon friends there, and we are searching for sacred jewel shards because I broke it…._Kagome thought quickly. _Oh yeah! That sounds believable!_

"Kagome, what's up?" Hailey asked again, a bit worried this time.

"Oh nothing!" Kagome said finally. "I'm just gonna take my shower now."

"Okay," Hailey said with a little laugh. She knew there was something Kagome was not telling her. She sensed it since the first time they saw each other a few days ago. _I figured Kagome would just come right out and tell me…_Hailey thought…_but it looks like I'm gonna have to dig some more…._

Hailey heard a strange sound come from the old forbidden temple across from the house. She leaned out the window a bit and listened even harder. And there it was….faint…but still present. _What is that?_ Hailey felt an odd presence, as if something from the temple was glowing, and it was strong too.

"That's odd," Hailey whispered. "What is that?" She was just thinking about sneaking down to the temple when she noticed a strange scent. She took a deep breath. "Is that a wolf?" _No. It can't be. Why would a wolf be in this area?_ She then noticed something else there too, another scent. "A dog….or a human?"

She quickly left the window and ran to the top of the stairs. Hailey listened for Kagome's mom and Grampa. _Crap!_ She thought when she heard them moving around downstairs. There would be no way out of the house without them interrogating her. Hailey silently moved back to Kagome's room and stuck her head out the window. She took a deep breath and listened carefully. There were voices coming from the temple!

Without fully thinking things through, Hailey climbed out the window unto the roof. Keeping her balance, she moved across the roof until she found a safe place to get down from. Hailey quickly and silently made her way across the yard toward the temple, hidden by the shadows.

When she finally reached the temple doors, she stopped and listened. There was scurrying and hushed whispers. In one brave move Hailey slide the door open and stepped in, making sure to close the door behind her. Everything was quiet. She took a few steps then stopped and looked around. The moonlight flooded through the window and filled the temple with shadows.

As she looked around, she noticed a rake leaning up against the wall. Quickly, she moved over and took it. Hailey then stood completely still, listening for any kind of sound. The only thing she heard was the distant sound of running water from Kagome's shower.

The smell of wolf and dog filled her nose, and, in a strange way, she enjoyed it.

Taking a deep breath she said, "Hello?" Nothing. "I know someone's in here…." she paused, then added, "or some_thing_." Hailey couldn't keep from giggling at her last comment. "Leave that area now if you do not wish to be hurt!" She said strongly. Still, there was no reply. Hailey laughed a bit, but then decided to give it a try. "Here doggie doggie! C'mon boy!" She let out a hushed laugh. "C'mon doggie! I know your in here somewhere…..I can sm-" She stopped and listened. For a second there, Hailey thought she heard someone laughing. Hailey was just about to give up when she saw it. The well.

Hailey stared at it for a bit, as if the well put her in a trance. She then dropped the rake, which made a loud "bang" but she didn't notice it, and slowly walked down the stairs towards that well. She felt as if the well was calling her, drawing her to it.

Hailey was now at the base of the closed well. Her eyes must have begun to deceive her because for a moment she thought she saw a light blue glow coming from inside the well. She slowly raised her hands and put them on the top cover, grabbing hold to lift it up.

Not noticing the effects the well was having on her, Hailey continued as if nothing happening was strange. Inuyasha and Kouga, on the other hand, notice what was happening to her.

Her eyes had turned red and a purple, blue light was coming from her body. As if there was a wind that only surrounded her, her hair gently blew in every direction. Hailey's feet actually lifted from the floor and she hovered in midair….

_What the hell is that?!_ Inuyasha thought as he hid in the shadows. _Who is she and what is she doing? Why is the well pulling her towards it?_ He looked in Kouga's direction and by the look on Kouga's face; he was wondering the same thing….and maybe something more…

Hailey now heard complete silence. The water had stopped running. "Shit!" She exclaimed as she fell to the floor. _What the hell just happened?_ She got up slowly, looked around, and then looked at the well. _Why can't I remember how I got down here? _"The well," she began, but then heard the shower curtain slide open. "Kagome!" She exclaimed as she quickly turned around and flew up the stairs and out the door.

Hailey ran as fast as she could towards the house. She could hear Kagome calling her name. _If I'm not there before she is, it won't be good._

Inuyasha and Kouga waited a few seconds after the girl left before following her out. They jumped out of the temple and into a tree, watching as she darted across the yard to the house. To their shock and surprise, she then scaled up the house to, where Inuyasha explained to Kouga, Kagome's room. They continued to watch as she quickly made her way half way through the window, then with the same speed came out and flattened herself to the side.

"Hailey?" Kagome said as she entered her room.

"Hey!" Hailey replied nonchalantly sticking her head through the window.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked with a look of surprise on her face.

"I was just getting some air," she lied, "looking at the stars, you know." Hailey quickly stabilized her breathing and acted as if nothing out of the ordinary just occurred. _What happened in there?_ She wondered as she looked back towards the temple. _What's hiding in there? _She decided that she should probably tell Kagome what she had been up to.

As she made her way through the window, however, she felt the presence again, closer this time. She froze.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked when she noticed Hailey. "You're acting very strangely." She was now the one who froze as she stared past Hailey, out the open window. Kagome could not believe her eyes. _I must be dreaming!_ Kagome thought as she blinked a few times. _No, I'm not! Oh this is going to be a hard one to get out of!_ She thought as she stared at Inuyasha and Kouga sitting outside of her window.

"Kagom-?" Hailey began.

"Why don't we go get something to eat?" Kagome yelled quickly as she grabbed Hailey's hand and pulled her toward the door, making sure Hailey wouldn't turn around. Kagome looked at Inuyasha and Kouga and mouthed to them to 'get the hell outta here!' She could tell they were protesting.

"Kagome," Hailey was saying, "what are you doing?! I'm not hungry! Just chill alright?" Hailey broke free of Kagome's grip and finally began to realize what was going on. _Oh! So Kagome knows someone's here…. What is her connection?_ Hailey thought of a plan. It was simple, but it would work. "You know," she said, "I'm pretty tired! I'm just gonna go to sleep." Hailey added in a fake yawn and got on the extra bed they moved into Kagome's room. "Good night," she said pleasantly as she lay on her side, facing the wall and pretended to sleep.

For a period of time, there was silence and Kagome just stood frozen in her spot watching Hailey's back. Finally, she whispered:

"Hailey? Are you up?"

Hailey didn't respond, but secretly smiled to herself. She then heard Kagome let out a deep breath and some movement. Hailey could smell them so strongly now. One smelled of dog and the other was pure wolf. Closing her eyes, Hailey could picture what they looked like. The dog-smelling one had white hair and a kind, yet strong face, with golden eyes. In her mind, the wolf had bright turquoise eyes and black hair that surrounded a handsome face.

Hailey opened her eyes and listened to what was going on. One stopped moving, while the other continued to move around the room carefully.

"She's my cousin," Kagome said ever so softly. "Hailey will be living here with me from now on."

"Nice place, Kagome," said a deep sexy voice. Even though his words weren't suggesting anything, Hailey knew his voice was.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF"-!!!!!" The other voice screamed, but was cut off, probably by Kagome, for Hailey heard her "ssssshhh!" Hailey recognized this as her chance. She squished her eyes shut and turned over to her other side. She was now facing them. Listening, she heard silence except for their hushed breathing. It took all of her strength not to smile. She sensed that they waited to see if she was going to wake up, and when she didn't, they relaxed.

"You have to be quiet Inuyasha," the sexy voice said with an attitude.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Inuyasha answered with annoyance dripping from every word.

"Guys!" Kagome said. "Stop! What are you both doing here?"

"I came to bring you back," the sexy voice said.

"No," Inuyasha said quickly, "I came to bring you back! We have to continue looking for the shards! What have you been doing this whole time?!"

"I've been with my cousin," Kagome replied and Hailey felt all eyes on her. She tried her hardest not to twitch, but it didn't work. She could never conscience know she is being watched and not twitch. It was something that just happened, and Hailey knew if Kagome remembered this, she would know that Hailey was awake. She heard Kagome's breath catch in her throat and finally decided to save some time.

In one movement, Hailey opened her eyes, sat up, and asked, "Alright, what the hell is going on?" She saw the reactions of the three in front of her. Kagome expected this to happen and, therefore, didn't flinch, the one with white hair jumped into the arms of the one with black hair and they both made a "GHAAAHG!" sound.

"How long have you been up?" Kagome asked as Hailey stood up.

"The whole time," she replied.


	3. Returning to the Past

_Oh no! She doesn't believe me!_ Kagome thought as she nervously watched Hailey process all the ridiculously absurd information they had just told her. _Well, honestly, who in their right mind would?_ Kagome thought after she contemplated the idea for a bit. _The whole thing is a bit insane…._

"The Feudal Era?" Hailey said after a few moments of silence. Kagome and Inuyasha nodded to her question. Kouga, on the other hand, did not respond at all. He just sat of Kagome's bed, watching Hailey closely. She ignored him, but felt his eyes on her as if they were hot rays from the sun. Hailey chose to ignore his stare and continued thinking on the matter.

_What is her scent?_ Kouga wondered wildly. _She smells human, but I can smell something else there. Something hidden underneath…_ He blinked a few times, for his eyes had become dry. Cocking his head to the side a bit, a thought suddenly dashed across his mind, _She's not that bad looking….maybe even a bit attractive…_ His tail began to swish back and forth in a dangerously slow manner as he became lost in thought. _She has nice eyes too...kind and soft, yet, strong and powerful. She's pretty. Her lips are nice and full... _His tail, unbeknownst to him, had picked up rapid speed. _A nice figure, I'd have to admit…_ Kouga's eyes wandered. _This girl's very pretty and has a nice scent, but there's something else there-_

"Kouga!"

All his thoughts escaped him and his mind entered back to the room.

"Stop your dumb tail!" Inuyasha ordered. "It keeps hitting me and I don't want to get your filthy flees!"

"Listen Mutt-face," Kouga started as they both rose to their feet. Inuyasha made to grab his Tetsaiga.

"Will you two knock it off?" Kagome said sternly as she stepped in between the two. "Once can you both just behave?" Inuyasha and Kouga were both steaming, but didn't say anything to each other. They both simple just sat back down on her bed and looked in opposite directions. It was then that Hailey rose.

"If you are going back," she said to Kagome and the others, "to the Feudal Era, that is, I want to go with." She waited for their reactions. Kagome looked stunned, while Inuyasha gave an annoyed sigh and Kouga just smiled dangerously.

"We can't take her," Inuyasha said to Kagome. "She'll slow us down!" Kagome looked like she was going to say something, but he continued, "In case you forgot, we are still trying to find the jewel shards before Naraku does. She'll just get in our way."

Hailey was about to defend herself when Kouga stood up and spoke out first.

"I think we should bring her," he said, to everyone's surprise. "You never know, Mutt-face. She could prove useful." He looked at her and Hailey felt a shiver run down her spine.

"I won't get in the way," she said, looking away from Kouga and back at Inuyasha. "I just want to see this place for myself."

"Come on Inuyasha," Kagome said, already starting to pack things up in her big backpack. "What are the chances that some demon will attack us anytime soon? Hailey won't get in the way of danger anyway. And even if some demon just randomly shows up, we can all help out. Well, I'm all ready. What do you say?"

Kouga and Inuyasha seemed completely astonished at how fast Kagome packed everything up and talked. Inuyasha could only shrug in response, but it was obviously that he still thought it was a bad idea.

The four entered the small temple after Kagome and Hailey explained everything to Kagome's family. Hailey pretended to never have seen the inside of the temple before, but she figured Kagome probably already knew that it was an act. They stepped up to the edge of the well and Kouga and Inuyasha removed the cover. The four looked down into the well, and noticed that it was giving off an unusual light.

"What is that?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha shook his head while replying, "I don't know."

Kagome noticed how both Inuyasha and Kouga exchanged strange looks then turned their attention to Hailey. She seemed transfixed. _What's that?_ Kagome wondered as she watched Hailey. _It's as if she's in a trance._

"Um…" Kagome started. Hailey blinked a few times, and then looked away from the well.

"This is it?" She asked, looking from Kagome, to Inuyasha, to Kouga, then quickly back at Kagome. "What is it?" She asked after noticing the way they were looking at her.

"Nothing," Kagome said quickly. "This is how we get there, but, Inuyasha," she said, "I had forgotten for a second. I thought we were the only two who can use the well?"

"That's what I thought too," he confirmed.

"So how did you get here then, Kouga?" Kagome asked.

"I just grabbed onto Mutt-face and jumped in the well," he answered with a laugh as he recalled the look on Inuyasha's face when he jumped him.

"So it must be that the other person must touch either Inuyasha or me to travel through the well," Kagome concluded.

"I guess so," Inuyasha said in an annoyed tone. "Are we gonna go soon? I'm gettin' tired of just standing here."

"Right," Kagome said, and then turned to Hailey. "Hold onto me and don't let go…" Hailey nodded as Inuyasha and Kouga interrupted.

"Oh no!" They both said in unison.

"I'm not letting him hold onto me," Inuyasha yelled.

"Having to touch that mutt once was more than enough, I'm _not_ doing that again," Kouga said.

"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled at Kouga. "You were the one who grabbed me! I didn't ask you to!"

"All I wanted to do was see Kagome again," Kouga yelled back at Inuyasha's face. Hailey and Kagome both sighed and exchanged the same look.

"Do they always do this?" Hailey asked.

"Whenever they're together," Kagome said.

"So, what's the deal? They're both interested in you and are competing for your affection?" Hailey asked with a big smile on her face as she nudged Kagome a few times.

"Um…well not exactly," Kagome hesitated out. "Kouga thinks I'm "his woman," but I'm not!" She added quickly. "And Inuyasha…" she sighed deeply, "he has someone else he's interested in." Hailey could tell that Kagome was upset by this last comment.

"Oh," she replied. "Well, you never know. Things could change," Hailey said quietly while Inuyasha and Kouga continued to argue. "Judging from the look on your face, you really like Inuyasha, don't you?" Kagome nodded and touched her face.

"Is it really that obvious?"

"Yes, but I also had a feeling," Hailey replied. "So how about we break this little argument up before someone gets hurt?" She said while watching Kouga put Inuyasha in a headlock. Kagome laughed and agreed.

"Inuyasha," she said, gathering both their attention. Kouga quickly released him. "Sit boy." Inuyasha went down fast and hard. Kouga laughed a bit and brushed himself off while Inuyasha rose to his feet with an imprint of the floor on his face. Hailey laughed a bit.

"You dirty wolf! You let me go! How did you know that was coming?" Inuyasha yelled at Kouga.

"I recognized the tone in Kagome's voice," he explained. "It was pretty obvious that she was about to say 'sit.'" Habitually, Inuyasha flinched causing the three to smile widely.

"Alright," Inuyasha said angrily, "let's just go already!" He moved to the well again and jumped onto the edge. "Hailey, hold onto me." She grabbed onto his arm and he helped her up onto the edge. Kagome and Kouga did the same. "Kouga," Inuyasha said heatedly, "if you touch Kagome in any other way than for the purpose of getting through the well, I'll rip your head off!"

Kouga laughed and teased Inuyasha saying, "But she's _my_ woman…." He then quietly reassured Kagome that he would never do anything that would dishonor her. She nodded.

With a quick look at everyone, Inuyasha counted off. The four then jumped into the well and disappeared.


	4. A Travel Through the Well

The four made sure that they held on to one another tightly so they wouldn't be separated. The strange light that surrounded them only grew brighter as they passed through the well. Eventually, it was so bright that it was blinding. A strong wind suddenly picked up and blew the four around roughly. It threatened to separate them, and they only held on tighter.

The other side of the well seemed farther away than usual. Kagome and Inuyasha both wondered why it was taking them so long to get there. _Something's wrong here…_ Inuyasha thought. _Why is it taking so long? And what's with this light?_ The wind picked up again, this time, blowing with even more force.

Suddenly, Inuyasha felt Hailey's grip begin to slip. He quickly grabbed her with his other hand, but that slipped too. Unable to see, because of the light, he reached out quickly and felt for a body near him. He couldn't smell anyone's scent. All scents seemed to have evaporated. He tired to call out, but not a sound was made. Finally, he felt a hand and quickly grabbed hold. Inuyasha felt the arm wrap around his waist and hold on tightly. _Good, _he thought. _If I hadn't have grabbed onto Hailey again, I would have heard an earful from Kagome!_

Soon, the light began to dim and the wind stopped. Inuyasha could see the well in the Feudal Era. They were getting closer and he soon felt the ground beneath his feet. They landed softly. Inuyasha turned to Hailey and found that it was not Hailey at all!

"Kagome!" He said, shocked.

"Inuyasha?" She replied. "I thought you were Kouga!" He resented that remark, but put it aside for now.

"I thought you were Hailey!" He said. "What happened?"

"Kouga and I were separated by the strong wind," Kagome explained.

"Same here," Inuyasha said. He looked around the well. No one else was there. "We both let go of them."

"Oh no!" Kagome exclaimed. "Are they stuck in my time?"

"I don't think so," Inuyasha replied. "We were in between times when Hailey and I split…"

"Are you saying that they are stuck _between _times?" Kagome exclaimed. "How do we get them back?!" Inuyasha could only shake his head.

Before they could even begin to think of what to do, the bright light returned and remained for a short while. When it disappeared, Kouga was revealed, holding Hailey in his arms.

"Kouga!" Kagome said. She ran up to him. "What happened?" She asked touching Hailey's face.

"She just fainted," Kouga said. "She'll be fine in a bit. We should take her somewhere to lie down though."

Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kiara sat in Kaede's little hut discussing what could possibly be delaying Inuyasha and Kagome. Kaede had made some soup for them and had just left to tend to the fields.

"Maybe she does not wish to return," Sango suggested.

"I don't think that is the case," Miroku replied. "Inuyasha always makes Kagome feel like leaving for a bit, but she had always returned before."

"Plus," Shippo added, "they didn't even have a fight before Kagome left."

"Right," Miroku said, taking a sip of his tea. "Kagome just went back home to get a few more necessities. She'll be back soon."

"What if something happened between Kouga and Inuyasha?" Sango questioned. "I still can't believe that Kouga made it through the well," she added.

"Yes," Miroku agreed. "It is a bit odd…"

"Well, whatever fights break out between Inuyasha and Kouga," Shippo said, "Kagome will surely stop. Kouga's in love with her and will probably do whatever she says, and all she has to say to Inuyasha is one word and he's down!"

"Right this way," they heard Kaede say. "The others are inside." Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kiara watched as Inuyasha entered through the door, followed by Kouga holding a girl, and Kagome and Kaede. The room felt even smaller now.

"Rest her here," Kaede told Kouga as she pointed to a spot on the floor. Kaede and Kagome quickly sat down next to the girl and with a soft towel, wiped her face.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said as he and Sango came to stand by Kouga and Inuyasha, "who is that girl?"

"Kagome's cousin, Hailey," Inuyasha replied automatically.

"How is it that she's here?" Sango asked.

"She spotted us and Kagome told her everything," he replied. "She wanted to come back with us. I knew something would happen," he added. "I had a bad feeling."

"She just fainted," Kouga said. "Nothing 'bad' happened to her at all. Stop being so paranoid doggie." Inuyasha growled back.

"Why did she faint?" Shippo quickly asked, trying to distract the two before they started fighting.

"I don't know," Kouga answered. He looked at Hailey as she lay on the floor. "Maybe the trip was a bit too much for her…." _There's something different about her now,_ he thought. _Her scent has totally changed and she even looks a bit different. _"Hailey looks different, right?" He asked. Kagome stopped wiping her face and really looked at her.

"Yeah, she does," Kagome answered. "Her hair is darker, back to its original color."

"Her scent has changed," Inuyasha added quietly.

"What?" Kagome said, not understanding what he meant.

"Yeah," Kouga agreed. "I noticed that, too."

"How has it changed?" Shippo asked out of pure curiosity.

"Before," Kouga started, "when we were in Kagome's time, she smelled human, but now-"

"Only a hint of human remains," Inuyasha finished.

"I **_was _**going to**_ say that!_**" Kouga howled.

"Save it Flee-bag," Inuyasha barked.

"Wait," Kagome said standing up. "What do you mean by 'only a hint of human remains'?" She feared for her cousin. Kagome didn't want anything to happen to her. _Perhaps bringing her here was a bad idea…._

"Her scent has changed," Kouga tried to explain, "somehow. I know demons can sometimes change their scents by will, but I've never heard of humans who can do it."

"What are you saying?" Kagome yelled a bit frightened. "Are you saying that Hailey's a demon?!" Miroku and Sango quickly stepped in.

"I'm sure that's not what they are trying to get at," Miroku said quickly with a big smile on his face. "Why don't we go out and get some air?" He and Sango took both of Kagome's arms and began walking her out of the room.

"No," she said. "I should stay with Hailey!" Kagome tried to move away, but they held on tightly. Miroku looked at Kaede for some help.

"Uh…maybe it be better if ye all go for some air," she said. "It be tight in here. She needs space to breathe." Inuyasha and Kouga quickly caught on. They all moved outside for some air, but Kagome returned quickly.

"Kaede," she said, "do you think what Inuyasha and Kouga said could be true?" She took a deep breath. "Could Hailey's scent really have changed?"

"Ye must not worry about it," Kaede said lightly. "Surroundings can influence the sense of smell."

"So, they just think Hailey's scent changed when it's really the surroundings that might have messed with their noses?" Kagome thought about this. _But both of them said they smelled two different scents on her. And they don't agree on things very often…_

"What happened?" Hailey asked softly as she slowly opened her eyes. Everything was blurry and soon turned fuzzy.

"Hailey?" Kagome said. "Are you alright?"

"Kagome," she said. "I'm okay." Hailey closed her eyes then opened them; things began to come into perfect view. "What happened?" She slowly sat up.

"You passed out," Kagome explained, "when we were coming through the well. Kouga carried you here." Hailey leaned up against the wall and looked around the room. "Uhh…Hailey?" Kagome said hesitantly.

"What's up?"

"Your eyes," Kagome replied softly. A look of confusion spread across Hailey's face. "Can you see everything clearly?"

"I couldn't at first, but I'm fine now," Hailey said. "In fact, I can see things extremely clearly and I don't even have my contacts on!" She smiled but noticed that neither Kagome, nor the old woman with them, smiled back. "What is it?"

"Your eyes are different," Kagome said.

"How so?" Hailey asked, her voice a bit panicked. She watched as Kagome rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a mirror. Hailey took the mirror and looked at her reflection. Her eyes were no longer the brown eyes she had had her whole life. Her eyes were no color she's ever seen a person with. "They're purple!" Hailey said softly and Kagome nodded.

"Thy shall find Inuyasha and the others," Kaede said and she quickly left the room.

"And my hair," Hailey said. "It's back to its grown so long! And back to its original color! I just dyed it auburn a few weeks ago! How is this possible? The black couldn't have grown in that fast!" Hailey looked at Kagome, who had a worried look on her face. "Kagome, what is going on?"

"I don't know," she replied. _Should I tell her what Kouga and Inuyasha said about her scent?_

"What happened?" Inuyasha said as he entered, followed by Kouga, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. They stopped dead in their tracks and stared at her. "Your eyes…"

"Purple," Miroku said.

"Her eyes were brown," Kagome explained.

"How is it possible?" Sango asked.

"And her hair…" Inuyasha said. "It's different…"

"Well, I think it looks good," Kouga said. Everyone looked at him. "You guys are all talking like this is a bad thing. The changes aren't bad…."

"We're not saying they're bad," Inuyasha said swiftly. "We're wondering what made these changes occur!"

"But the way you're all talking…" Kouga fired back. "You're probably making her feel like a freak!"

"Alls we're saying is that we want to get to the bottom of this!" Inuyasha barked.

"Well you don't have to put her down while you're doing it!" Kouga growled.

"Stop it!" Hailey finally said. There was a strange ring in the sound of her voice that caught everyone's attention. Everything went silent, even the noisy birds that were twittering outside in the tree nearby. Inuyasha and Kiara's ears twitched, and Shippo and Kouga quickly rubbed theirs for a bit.

"What the hell was that?!" Inuyasha said. "Your voice wasn't like that before!" He felt a cold look from Kouga, then added, "Not that it sounded bad or anything…."

Hailey stood up and faced the others. She didn't know what to say, but she knew what she felt. _I feel strange,_ she thought. _Something's very different about me. Maybe it's this place…. I need some fresh air._ She looked at Kagome, then at the others.

"I need some air," she said softly. Hailey began to cross the room when Kagome stopped her.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"I'll be fine by myself," she replied. "Thanks anyway." Miroku and Kouga moved away from the door so Hailey could easily get out. Once she left, everyone in the room looked at Kagome.

"What's up with her?" Kagome asked. "Inuyasha," she paused, "Kouga, what's her scent like now?" Inuyasha moved over to where Hailey had been laying down and sniffed. Kouga, however, followed her outside.

He didn't know exactly where she went. Her scent was constantly changing, so he couldn't pick up on it. _She couldn't have disappeared!_ Kouga thought as he picked a random direction and searched it. _Poor kid. She's changing and doesn't even realize it…._ Kouga stopped. _That's it!_ He figured Kagome would want to be the first one to hear this and decided to go back to tell her. It was then that he found Hailey.

She was sitting high up in a tree, looking at something in the distance. Kouga thought he had better confirm his assumption before he went blabbing to Kagome. Silently, he crept up behind the tree and began to climb. He didn't even get halfway when Hailey began to speak.

"What do you want, Kouga?"

_So I was correct…_

"How'd you know it was me?" He asked lightly as he jumped up quickly to the branch she was on.

"I sensed you following me," Hailey said, not looking at him. "Plus you have a very distinct scent of wolf." He noticed that she gave a very small smile.

"You sensed me and you can smell my scent," Kouga reiterated. "This is something that you've been able to do for a long time, am I right?" Hailey nodded and looked at him.

"How did you know?"

"When you came into the temple that held the well in Kagome's time," Kouga started, "you knew exactly where Inuyasha was. You smelled him out and were heading in his direction. If you had not gotten distracted, you probably would have found us sooner than you did."

"Is it really that obvious?" Hailey asked. She noticed that Kouga was confused by this comment. "I've always been able to sense when things were about to happen and smell people's scents….but being here….something's different. I feel very different."

"You're not a normal human," Kouga stated.

"I know," Hailey said. "But then, what am I?"


	5. New Feelings?

"So you **_are_** saying she's a demon!" Kagome shrieked at Inuyasha.

"I didn't say she was for sure," he yelled back. "I just told you what I thought!" Inuyasha turned his back on Kagome and sat down. Miroku and Sango knew that this argument was not going to end well.

"Kagome," Sango said, "maybe you should go find Hailey. Try and talk to her." Miroku caught on to what Sango was getting at and helped a bit. _We should stop this argument before it gets worse…_he thought.

"Sango's right," he said quickly. "Hailey's probably really confused right now. She might like your company right now." Miroku ushered Kagome away from Inuyasha and headed toward the door.

"Hey Kagome," Inuyasha said before Miroku pushed Kagome out the door. "Tell Hailey I wanna talk to her later."

Kagome started out in search of finding Hailey, but soon decided to just be by herself for a bit. As she walked, Kagome thought about everything that has happened. _Hailey's going through a strange time. She's definitely changing…somehow….and to top it off, her parents just died! How can I help her? I wish I knew exactly what she was going through…I want to be able to talk to her about this and understand how she's feeling. _Kagome found herself by a small river. It was peaceful and relaxing there. She sat down next to the water and looked in to it. _I want to be able to help her…._

"Kagome!"

She quickly turned around and found the source of the voice.

"Kouga! What happened?" She asked. "Where were you?"

Kouga stood next to her and gently, but quickly, pulled her to her feet.

"I was talking with Hailey," he explained. "She's been like this for some time now."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"She told me she always had been able to smell peoples' scents and…" he took a deep breath, "I'll explain that later! She disappeared."

"What?!" Kagome exclaimed in confusing as Kouga began to run back in the direction he came from, dragging Kagome with him.

"We were talking for a bit and suddenly she said she wanted to be alone, so I left," Kouga explained to her as they ran back. "I had to be gone only for two minutes, then I went back to check up on her…."

"Why did you feel you had to check up on her?" Kagome wondered with interest.

"Uh..." Kouga stuttered, "she's going through a weird time… I felt I had to." Kagome noticed the awkwardness in his voice. She smiled to herself a bit, then remembered that he said Hailey disappeared!

"Then what happened?" She asked as they reached the tree that Kouga and Hailey were sitting in.

"I saw that she wasn't up in the tree, so I began looking around for her," Kouga said. "I couldn't find her anywhere in the area…"

"What about her scent?" Kagome began to feel extremely uneasy…

"It keeps changing!" Kouga growled in frustration. "She had a definite scent when we were in the tree, and when I didn't see her around, I followed that scent for awhile. I got to the edge of the village, and then the scent just disappeared!"

"Where could she have gone?!" Kagome asked. She began to panic. "We have to find her now! She doesn't know this place. Hailey could get into real trouble!"

"Calm down," Kouga said. "She's a demon, she can hold her own for a bit…." he then realized what he said. _Damnit! I promised Hailey I wouldn't say anything to Kagome!_

"Did she say that, or are you just assuming?" Kagome asked quickly.

"Uh…" Kouga said, not knowing how to answer that question. _Hailey and I discussed this briefly, but came to one conclusion: the atmosphere here, in this time, with the rest of these demons, brings out her true demonic nature and appearance. Back in her and Kagome's time, there were no other demonic auras to stir her's up._ "Maybe we should call Mutt-face," Kouga suggested in hope of distracting Kagome off this topic…

"Right!" She exclaimed quickly. "I'll go get Inuyasha and you continue looking for Hailey." Before Kouga could agree to that plan, Kagome ran off towards Kaede's hut.

Kouga took off towards the edge of town. Once he reached to border of the town and the woods, he stopped. Looking around, he felt a strange sensation creeping into his body.

"The well!" He exclaimed, and took of running as fast as he possibly could.

Hailey looked over the edge of the well and hesitated a bit. _This **is** the way we came here….it must work._ She quickly jumped into the well….and landed perfectly balanced on the hard ground. _Why can't I go through?_ She wondered angrily as tears formed in her eyes. Hailey closed her eyes and refused to cry. Using all of her strength, she willed the well the let her pass and return to the modern era. Nothing.

Anger quickly took hold of her and she kicked the ground with all her might, resulting in a cloud of dirt rising up then dying back down. Hailey froze as a now familiar pain seized her body. _Not again!_ She thought as the same pain she remembered feeling when she passed out in this well earlier returned to her. _What will happen this time?_

The pain abruptly stopped and Hailey examined herself for the change that just occurred. The first time she remembered feeling this pain, she woke to find her eyes were now purple and her hair was back to its natural color and even longer in length. The second time the pain returned she felt her canine teeth sharpen and become larger and stronger. _What changed this time?_ She searched until she noticed on odd weight by her backside. _Not that!_ She thought with dread as she gently felt behind her. Sure enough, she learned she now had a new tail coming out of her.

"Damnit!" She exclaimed loudly and began to climb out of the well, swearing I her mind the whole climb up. When she finally reached the top, she froze and could only stare at the man in front of her.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, almost coldly, as he examined her with his golden eyes.

_Who is this? And why does he seem somewhat familiar?_ Hailey thought as she pulled herself over the edge of the well and sat there.

"You're a wolf demon," he stated and Hailey nodded. "Yet you have no scent… That's odd."

She didn't know how to respond and only could stutter, "Wh-who are you?"

He didn't answer question, which freaked her out even more. He simply stared at her, without any expression on his face or emotion in his eyes. Finally, he turned around and was soon lost in the trees.

Hailey sat there in confusion. _Who was that? Those eyes look so familiar…. how come I didn't sense him approaching?_ She didn't know the answers to any of these questions and it angered her. _Why couldn't he have just told me his name?!_

Hailey quickly put her questions on hold when she heard sensed something from far off approaching quickly. Instinctively, she thought to hide and jumped back into the well. Soon, she calmed down enough to catch the scent of the thing headed towards her. _Kouga!_

"Hailey?" She heard Kouga yelling as he drew closer to the well. She climbed back up and sat on the edge of the well to wait for him. Within seconds, he was in front of her.

"Hi," she smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Hailey!" Kouga said a bit too joyfully with a wide, relieved smile on his face. When he realized how he sounded and looked, he cleared his throat and looked away.

"Why did you come here?" Hailey asked seriously, while smiling at his expression on the inside.

"I- Kagome is very worried about you," he said, still not looking at her.

"Oh."

"What are you doing here anyway?" He asked finally looking back to her. When his bright blue eyes finally met her deep purple ones, she answered.

"I was trying to go back home," she said honestly and noted his reaction. Kouga's face twisted and he quickly said, "Why?!"

Hailey let out a little laugh then jumped down from the edge of the well and walked over to him. She looked into his eyes and explained her changes.

"I'm not sure if this is the right life for me," she said lastly. At her last words, Kouga sighed and looked away. For the first time, Hailey looked at him fully and began committing his image to memory: the way his black hair shinned in the sun, how his ears pointed at the top… Her eyes traveled down his body and she felt her heart skip a beat. Soon, she noticed that he was looking at her again, and she felt herself blush furiously. Hailey held her breath and waited for his response.

"Uh..." Kouga took a deep breath then finally said, "You could give it a chance… This life…." Hailey looked up at him and they held the gaze for a time, then he looked away. "You don't know how this life could turn out. I mean, you are new to this demonic form….you could wait a bit and try to get used to it." He looked back at her, and lowering his voice to just above a whisper, he gently added, "I could help you get used to it."

Hailey felt herself blush even more, if that was even possible, and her breath caught I her throat. _Is he offering….?_

"I mean," he said in a soft, gruffy whisper, and Hailey felt him move closer, "if you need anything…any help, or if you have any questions…I'll be here for you."

"Uhh…Thank you," Hailey found herself saying quietly, as she watched his lips move inches from hers.

"Hey!" An loud, annoyed voice yelled. Hailey and Kouga flew apart and found Inuyasha with Kagome on his back staring at them. "What are you two doing?!"

"Hailey!" Kagome shrieked as she jumped off Inuyasha's back and ran to her cousin. "You have a tail?!?!" She spun Hailey around and the three stared at the new addition.

"Oh wow," Kouga said. "I didn't even see that!"

"So what _were_ you looking at?" Inuyasha asked, giving Kouga a hard look.

"Hailey," Kagome said, "what were you doing here? Were you trying to leave?"

Hailey and Kouga exchanged quick glances before Hailey said, "No, I wasn't trying to leave. I just needed a place to think about everything…."

"Okay, lemme see," Inuyasha said as he examined Hailey. "You have the tail, the eyes, the teeth," he sniffed, "and the scent. You're a demon. Can we please go now?"

Kouga and Kagome looked from Inuyasha to Hailey and Kouga sniffed the air.

"Yeah, I think you're scent finally stabilized," he said.

"Hailey," Kagome began, "I know this is hard-"

"I'm fine," Hailey said with a little smile as she looked at Kagome. "This could be a new chance at life for me." Kagome nodded at her cousin's outlook on her awkward situation. She then noticed how particularly close Kouga was standing to Hailey. Kagome could only smile.

"Inuyasha," she said, "let's go back to the village. I'm getting hungry!" Without warning, she jumped on her back, and as if he were a horse, said, "Yha!"

Surprisingly, he obeyed her command and took off running at a good speed, then realized what happened and yelled.

"'Yha'?! What do you mean by that Kagome? I'm not your slave…." Then they were nothing more that two little specks running toward the horizon.

Hailey suddenly realized what Kagome did. She didn't know whether to thank her, or not…. She looked at Kouga. _He **is** cute… but do I feel safe around him? Can I completely trust him? We did just meet…._

"Well," Kouga said as he looked at her.

Hailey couldn't figure out how he was. _He looks a bit dangerous…and yet at the same time, kind and caring…._ She waited for what he would say next, and hoped it was something good….

"We should probably get back too," he said quickly, looking away from her. He began to walk away, leaving her there, stunned and a bit disappointed. "C'mon."


End file.
